The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-03-31
COLUMBUS.
Home Rule In POstofiCes and Ter
FItsFles.
A Rule which Senator Thurman Laid
Down LOBS Ago, and from which
Nothing win Induce Him
TO Depart.

who had called to pay the grand old
statesman their respects, as all OF thrm
love to do, Somehow or other the con
Versation led to the subject of securing
letters 6f Endorsement for applicants for
official positions
81 have. within the past two years."
said the Senator, written large num-
her OF letters, every one OF which gave
me pain, and oil Of which l would
gladly have left unwritten, had 1t beeD
possible for me to do go"
"There must have been something pc
euliar about that branch OF your GORE
spOndenCe," suggested one Ofthe gentle
men.
ut was all about postOfises."
"Tell US about It,"
"From the very beginning Of my pub
lie career, and even before that time,
. laid IL down as fixed and unalteTR0le
rule Of my life that no man ought, un
der any circumstances, try to control or
dominate the appointment OF postmas
ter for any town or city other than hts
own. There be has the right to make b
Ohoice aud work for the selection OF hit
candidate by all honorable methods. but
he has no right nor title to me die with
Or try to control the selection OF post
master In some o., her town or city. The
postmaster is very important public
official iEdeed, not only as regards bis
relation and duties to the Government,
hut In handling and having custody or
almost the entire corresponds ice or all
the ueoDle who patrOniZe his tttice.
There is hardly any limit to the abusb
D0stmsster might make Of his position
and pOWers, and consequently home
rule is demanded more emphatically In
The selection Of a postmaster-thaE is,
presenting the proper candidate TO the
e0nsideraIiOn f the appointing power
than any other position. l Will ven.
ture to say there ls not In the history OF
this or any Of the recent adminls!ra-
tlOns, case Of BID, 'nethclent nbJ &c
tIOnable and unsatisfactory postmaster
who was appointed upon the request OF
the people interested. Ii some o! you
gentlemen who have the leisure and Gu
fiOslty to investigate will do so, you
will find they we're appointed through
the influence Of outsiders, who had nj
terior designs In view, and that both
the Government and the public are los
ers In consequence"
"DO such appointments help the
"Never. What does not help the pub.
lie Interests does not help the Demo
cratic party"
"Than you Rave been called on to
recommend people for postmaster In
other tOwns2'
"Scores and scores Of times, and the
replies which was forced to make to
such requests Is what gave me so much
pain, for all tn SO men were my friends
some of them the warmest friends
have, who would do anything In the
world for me that Is honorable; and men
for whom would do any thing could
without breaking over this one infexi
BILE and, l think, necessary rule. In
almost every case | knew the applicant,
knew him to be able, honest and effi
Client, and his appointment would have
been great pleasure to me. But to all
sent the same answer, explaining why
l could not ask for their appointment as
DOstmasters, while expressing willing
ness to indOrse them for almost any
other position In the gift Of the Execu
tive"
"Then you believe In home rule In
DOstmas ers2"
"Without any reservation whatever, l
was deeply interested In the selection
of postmaster here In Columbus, and
am very we'll Satisfied with the appoint
ment made"
''And every body should be-" said one
Of the gentlemen, Q prominent citizen
of the northeastern part OF the State.
"The eappOintmenthere has strengthened
the party all over the State. IL ls an
honor 10 the party and the Administra-
tlOD."
"Y,s." said Senator Thurman, "Mr.
Jones stands high In the pnbhO esteem,
and d 4serVedly 80. Then there is anOth-
or case In which home rule should be
rlgldIy applied"
"What Is thstp"
'In filling the Territorial off1ces--that
is the offices In the Territories directly
connected with lts local administrative
aft ,irs. | never had but one opinion
on that subj ,ct, and twelve, year study
Of 1t In the U lited States Senate, In a1di-
tiOn to my observations In the Lower
House confirmed me In 1t.
"The Territories are filled with able,
energetic, educated and well.equipped
men. who have cast their lots In them
to stay. All their interests are bound
up In the welfare Of the Territory. They
have been there long enough to know
Its wants, and what is for the best In
terests Of their fell0w-Citiz ms and fell
l0w.settlers. They are the men who
ought to be intrusted with the manage
ment of its internal aft airs. Outsiders
should never be sent there, except In
cases Of exceptional necessity. There
are such persons as Indian and timber
agents and the like located In the Terri
tories, which do not come within this
category; but the purely local Terrific
rial offices should be filled with resi-
dents capsule and qualified.
"There have been outsiders sent to the
Territories whose mission seemed only
to be to prey upon the people and the
Government and promote themselves.
6oscandalOus did this become under the
Republican regime that In 1884 there
was plank inserted in the Democratic
platform specifically declaring In favor
Of residents for the Territorial offices.
It was wise and voluntary declaration,
and l Endorsed 1t with my whole heart. 4
President Cleveland seems to have
recognized 1t intuitively, and referred
to 1t emphatically In his letter Of acceD.
tance, giving 1t his unreserved indorse'
m6nt."
"Has he tried to carry out that plank |
In the PLATFORM
II believe that he has endeavored to
carry 1t out as nearly as possible"
'But there have been incidents where |
he did not appoint residentsw
"That Is true; and upon the face of 1t |
It looks as though he had ignored the |
platform and his own letter of accept |
ance. But we should not Judge hastily |
and In the absence Of all the facts. |
Every man has some reason, either valid |